System and method for online competition

ABSTRACT

Users play a role-playing video game which can in principle be of a variety of types but will generally involve the player controlling the actions of an avatar such as a duck. After finishing a number of tasks, levels, or the like, the avatar is given entrance to a virtual shopping mall. The avatar, which again may take the form of a mangy duck, traverses the premises of the mall, beholding the merchandise displayed within the various shops and food court, and chooses items over which to compete. The winner of such competitions wins the items which are delivered or picked up in actual physical reality.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to systems and methods for online competitions.

2. Description of Related Art

Competitions for prizes are popular due to the fuel of the incentive being added to the fire of man's innate competitive nature. However these competitions generally offer fixed prizes over which the participants have no control.

Hence, an improved method for online competition is still a long felt need.

BRIEF SUM MARY

An aspect of the present invention provides a method of online gameplay comprising steps of:

-   -   a. providing a server connected to the internet;     -   b. connecting a number of users to said server by means of         computing devices;     -   c. registering on said server;     -   d. playing a preliminary game to meet mall entrance         requirements;     -   e. upon meeting said mall entrance requirements, entering a         virtual mall;     -   f. selecting item(s) to compete for in said mall;     -   g. competing for said items;     -   whereby users may compete for real items they have chosen,         online

It is further within provision of the invention wherein said preliminary game comprises a role playing game.

It is further within provision of the invention wherein said preliminary game comprises one or more bonus rounds.

It is further within provision of the invention wherein said bonus rounds involve a duck required to clean a carpet being rendered filthy by a cat vomiting hairballs thereupon.

It is further within provision of the invention wherein said competing for said items is accomplished by means of a game having multiple levels.

It is further within provision of the invention wherein said mall entrance requirements consist of elements selected from the group consisting of: monetary payment; point accumulation; and combinations thereof. Mall entrance is made possible as soon as the duck enters Duckland. Entrance is contingent upon invitation, payment or both.

It is further within provision of the invention wherein said gameplay involves: single player gaming; team gaming; tournament competition; tournaments, brackets, knock-out, group tournaments, multi-stage tournaments, promotion/relegation systems, round robin, Swiss system, challenge tournaments, ladder tournaments.

It is further within provision of the invention wherein said mall comprises stores carrying goods and services selected from the list consisting of: clothing, consumer goods, electric appliances, travel products including tickets and tours, furniture, sporting goods, lingerie, footwear, building supplies, extrusion equipment, welding supplies, plastic goods, painting supplies, plants, artwork, galleries, stationary, novelties, whoopie cushions, books, movie tickets, transportation services, transportation machines, insurance services, computers and peripherals, office supply, fuel, recreational services, music services, gym, seasonal tickets to sporting and entertainment events.

It is further within provision of the invention wherein said competition for said items involves maximizing items selected from the group consisting of: points accumulated; victories achieved; money paid; credits won; wins attained; matches won.

It is further within provision of the invention wherein said computing devices are selected from the group consisting of: laptop computer, portable computer, desktop computer, smartphone, PDA, tablet computer, pad computer, pocket computer, Turing machine.

These, additional, and/or other aspects and/or advantages of the present invention are: set forth in the detailed description which follows; possibly inferable from the detailed description; and/or learnable by practice of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be implemented in practice, a plurality of embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the inventive system; and

FIG. 2 illustrates an online mall of the inventive method; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a possible system diagram depicting one embodiment of the inventive system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is provided, alongside all chapters of the present invention, so as to enable any person skilled in the art to make use of said invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out this invention. Various modifications, however, will remain apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined specifically to provide a means and method for providing a system and method for online competition.

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will understand that such embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention.

The term ‘plurality’ refers hereinafter to any positive integer (e.g, 1, 5, or 10).

The invention provides a platform allowing users to compete for products that they select themselves.

In one embodiment of the invention, users play a role-playing video game which can in principle be of a variety of types but will generally involve the player controlling the actions of an avatar such as a duck.

This avatar is used to allow a player to compete in a preliminary stage to qualify for the main event, which involves selecting an item in a virtual mall, and then competing for that item.

The Game

In certain embodiments, the game is entirely open to all players until a certain round such as round 4. In these initial rounds the player's avatar will have lost a certain amount of strength. The player then enters a second stage, involving choosing a product in a virtual mall, and then competing for it.

In one particular embodiment, the player after finishing the preliminary first rounds then crosses a river to “Duckland”, as the case may be. In front of the duck rises an imposing locked bamboo shoot door. In order to open the door, the player must send a request by way of a network such as FaceBook™ (running on a device such as a desktop computer, laptop, portable computer, smartphone, PDA, tablet computer, pad computer, pocket computer, Turing machine, or the like, and which device(s) may run an operating system(s) such as the list including but not limited to FreeBSD™, SunOS™, Windows NT®, Windows 95®, Windows 98®, Windows XP®, Windows 2003®, Windows Vista®, Windows 7®, NexT®, MacOS X®, GCOS, AIP/UX, Ultrix, Android, Linux, CP-40, Berkeley Unix, Exec 8, OSF/1, and the like) to a friend (for instance), to join the game. Other databases and/or social networks such as MySpace, Apple, and the like may also be used for these purposes. Alternatively, the player may pay a predetermined sum such as one dollar to open the imposing door. Behind the imposing door the player will be delighted to behold a tropical isle festooned with retail outlets in which he may buy presents and bonuses, such that he may continue playing. On this tropical island the avatar may then encounter the fabled Duck Palace—a virtual mall of opulent splendor and magnitude, in three vibrant dimensions and rife with luxury stores. In order to enter the revolving door of the palace the avatar must pay a one time entrance fee, for example $4.99 (or $3.99 if the dollar was paid to open the bamboo door). Alternatively the entrance is free, and only participation in competitions costs money.

Within the mall a number of virtual stores may be found such as electronic goods stores, consumer goods stores, electric appliance stores, travel agents, furniture, sporting goods, lingerie, footwear, building supplies, extrusion equipment, welding supplies, plastic goods stores, painting supplies, plant stores and nurseries, artwork outlets and galleries, stationary stores, novelty stores selling surprise buzzers, whoopie cushions and the like, bookstores, movie theatres ticket outlets, other ticket outlets, and the like.

The avatar will then be given the opportunity to choose a product, good, or service that finds favour, and to enter into competition to obtain it. The competition time will appear and a reminder will be sent at some predetermined time interval before the event. At various points in this resplendent Duck Palace a carousel has been built, upon which with every circumnavigation (revolution or rotation) fabulous prizes such as a jeep, motorcycle, jetski, waterboard, kite, hang-glider, bicycle, television, microwave, computer, projector, and the like appear as tantalizing temptations.

The uppermost floor of the Duck Palace (to which escalators and/or a transparent elevator lead) is the Duck Platinum floor, wherein the jewel in the crown is proudly displayed—an apartment at a cost of an unbelievable $25. The avatar may enter this Platinum level only after passing ten rounds, for example. At the end of ten successfully completed rounds he receives a V.I.D. tag with which he may pass the bouncers and enter the platinum level.

In front of the avatar appears his fondest dream house at the unprecedented price of $25. If the player decides to join the coming competition, offers are presented to obtain packages of goods for outfitting and upgrading the house should he win it. Each such package includes a number of products from which the player chooses. This purchase is optional and is allowed during competition as well. As the competition progresses, the packages may increase in price.

Specific Levels

It will be understood by one skilled in the art that a wide variety of games, with their various rules, plots, backgrounds, structures and the like may be employed for the instant invention. With this in mind we present one possible implementation of one possible game as an example of an enticing, fun-filled challenging game for all manner of people who might evince interest in such, be it as it may. The levels involve a general theme, a strategy to be followed, certain choices to be made, a technique of operation, a number of faults, the accumulation of three of which will incur penalties such as restarting the level, and a maximum theoretical number of points.

-   -   a. Level 1—earth removal         -   i. General—A section of earth is shown that can be moved.             The player must dig earth and fling it accurately into a             dumptruck.         -   ii. Strategy—accuracy in angle and force         -   iii. Choices—shovel/duck helper with shovel/backhoe         -   iv. Technique—Pressing on the shovel or backhoe icon causes             dirt to accumulate. Dragging at the right angle and             releasing at the right moment causes dirt to be thrown into             the dumptruck bed.         -   v. Three Faults—Missing the dumptruck/losing             momentum/running out of energy         -   vi. Maximum Points—1,000,000     -   b. Level 2         -   i. General—A section of earth, underground. The player must             dig in the right points and in the correct directions.         -   ii. Strategy—Choosing the right points, accuracy in angle             and timing of starting/stopping a dig.         -   iii. Choices—Guess of point to dig at/helping duck that also             guesses/underground map         -   iv. Technique—Clicking on the point at which it is desired             to dig, pointing the screwdriver in the right direction, and             clicking and holding to dig until release.         -   v. Three Faults—Digging in wrong place/digging at wrong             angle/digging after stopping point/duck runs out of strength         -   vi. Maximum Points—2,000,000     -   c. Level 3—Pouring foundations         -   i. General—A section of subterranean earth. The duck must             pour concrete into the holes dug in the previous level.         -   ii. Strategy—accuracy in pour position/angle, prevention of             sandslide, correct timing of the pour cessation.         -   iii. Choices—small bucket/helping duck with bucket/crane             with pour pipe         -   iv. Technique—Aiming the concrete pour at the right angle,             clicking on the bucket\crane to begin pour, preventing sand         -   v. Three Faults—incorrect angle, sandslide destroys concrete             continuity, late pour cessation, dusk runs out of strength         -   vi. Maximum Points—2,000,000     -   d. Level 4—Earth filling between connecting pilings         -   i. General—The area is surrounded and divided by the cat             concrete foundation pilings. The duck must fill the spaces             with earth using a bulldozer. Zoom out/in is possible at             this stage.         -   ii. Strategy—Accuracy in angle and thrust, correct             apportionment of earth in all sections—incorrect assessments             cost time.         -   iii. Choices—shovel/helping duck with shovel/backhoe         -   iv. Technique—clicking on shovel or button on bulldozer             causes dirt to be added. Clicking on the desired area will             select it and cause it to be colored. Dragging in the right             direction and speed causes the dirt to be thrown.         -   v. Three Faults—Duck did not throw all dirt into the             selected region/dirt was thrown with wrong speed/duck did             not divide dirt evenly between all sections/duck runs out of             energy.         -   vi. Maximum Points—3,000,000     -   e. Level 5—Emplacing styrofoam containers         -   i. General—The earth is divided into quadrants. The players             must direct styrofoam blocks into the quadrants.         -   ii. Strategy—positioning and aiming of styrofoam block,             timing of the throw         -   iii. Choices—none         -   iv. Technique—moving the pointer in the desired direction to             direct the trajectory of the styrofoam and prevent             winds/birds from interfering. Clicking in order to toss             block onto ground at the right angle at which it was when             the button was pressed.         -   v. Three Faults—The player wastes styrofoam and the supply             is eliminated/the player misses three throws/the avatar runs             out of strength         -   vi. Maximum Points—3,000,000     -   f. Level 6—Pouring the Floor         -   i. General—The Ducal Duck hangs from a pipe and sprays             concrete onto the iron framework upon the Styrofoam.         -   ii. Strategy—Fill the area as fast as possible         -   iii. Choices—None         -   iv. Technique—Pulling the finger         -   v. Three Faults—None         -   vi. Maximum Points—4,000,000     -   g. Level 7—wetting the concrete floor         -   i. General—The concrete floor has dried and cracks appear.             The player must wet the concrete with water before the             concrete breaks.         -   ii. Strategy—Garden hose/helping duck with garden             hose/concrete mixer         -   iii. Choices—none         -   iv. Technique—none         -   v. Three Faults—none         -   vi. Maximum Points—none     -   h. Level 8—Concrete pillar pouring         -   i. General—Wood frames are supplied into which concrete is             poured. The player pounds nails that have come out.         -   ii. Strategy—Hitting nails that come out of the framework             with a hammer and pressing upon the hose in order to stop             the flow of concrete in time or cause restricted flow.         -   iii. Choices—None         -   iv. Technique—Hitting nails and stopping the pour in time         -   v. Three Faults—Missing three nails on the same pillar or             late stop of flow will cause the pillar to empty—emptying of             three pillars will restart the level         -   vi. Maximum Points—5,000,000     -   i. Level 9—Building walls from cinderblock         -   i. General—Blocks fall at speed from above. The duck must             suffice to put mortar in place before the block falls onto             its allotted place in the wall.         -   ii. Strategy—Spreading mortar before the brick falls. The             duck must apprehend the tad blocks' having frowns and not to             put mortar for those blocks.         -   iii. Choices—spreader/helping duck with spreader/turbo         -   iv. Technique—Sending the blocks to the right place and to             spread mortar beneath. To prevent incorporation of bad             blocks.         -   v. Three Faults—Putting 3 bad blocks in place/not mortaring             3 good blocks/running out of strength         -   vi. Maximum Points—5,000,000     -   j. Level 10—Preparing water and sewage lines         -   i. General—The duck runs in a pipe for sewage and fixes             holes. Occasionally a rat appears. The duck must catch the             rat in order to gain speed. Along the way he collects             sanitary materials for the house         -   ii. Strategy—fixing holes by means of pressing them, and             catching the rat by the ail, which can be discerned as they             leave ripples in the sewage. On the way sanitary materials             are collected.         -   iii. Choices—None         -   iv. Technique—The duck runs, but on the rat he runs faster.             As the level progresses the speed increases and the number             of holes increases. In order to fill a hole it must be             pressed. In order to pass the level 90% of the holes must be             filled and the sanitary materials must be collected.         -   v. Three Faults—The duck misses 10% of the holes/runs out of             strength (due to slow progress)/the duck misses three             sanitary items         -   vi. Maximum Points—6,000,000     -   k. Level 11—Bathroom Duck         -   i. General—The duck stands behind a showerette which has             appeared on the worksite. His hand pulls the string and the             player must score it as fast as possible and remove sewage             stains. The goal is to do so with as few pulls on the string             as possible.         -   ii. Strategy—To score the duck as fast as possible to gain             points.         -   iii. Choices—None         -   iv. Technique—Debridation by pulling the finger.         -   v. Three Faults—None         -   vi. Maximum Points—2,000,000     -   l. Level 13—Building the ceiling         -   i. General—The duck is suspended from a pipe on a crane and             pours concrete into the ceiling. The weather gets bad,             thunder and lightning begin and rain falls at one point.         -   ii. Strategy—To fill the area of the ceiling before too much             rain falls.         -   iii. Choices—None         -   iv. Technique—Pulling the finger to pour the concrete         -   v. Three Faults—If the duck doesn't suffice to fill the area             before the rain falls to a certain level/runs out of             strength         -   vi. Maximum Points—3,000,000     -   m. Level 14—Building the internal divisions         -   i. General—Blocks fall at speed from above. The duck must             suffice to put mortar in place before the block falls onto             its allotted place in the wall.         -   ii. Strategy—Spreading mortar before the brick falls. The             duck must apprehend the tad blocks' having frowns and not to             put mortar for those blocks.         -   iii. Choices—spreader/helping duck with spreader/turbo         -   iv. Technique—Sending the blocks to the right place and to             spread mortar beneath. To prevent incorporation of bad             blocks.         -   v. Three Faults—Putting 3 bad blocks in place/not mortaring             3 good blocks/running out of strength         -   vi. Maximum Points—5,000,000     -   n. Level 15—Preparing electric lines         -   i. General—The duck runs within a green pipe within channels             in the walls in the floor and ceiling. The channels are of             different colors. The duck must pull on his shoulder the             electric cables and must duck under or jump over various             obstacles.         -   ii. Strategy—To lay the cables without being electrocuted.         -   iii. Choices—Regular/lightning appears as a warning of             impending electrocution/vest against electrocution that             charges and empties in accordance with the flow of current.         -   iv. Technique—Pulling finger upwards to jump over current,             puling finger downwards to duck under the current.         -   v. Three Faults—Three electrocutions without             vest/electrocution after depletion of the vest/running out             of strength         -   vi. Maximum Points—7,000,000     -   o. Level 16—Outer and inner plaster         -   i. General—Black plaster on the outside. Grey plaster on the             inside. The duck is on a surfboard with ski goggles, surfing             on the channels of wet plaster and thus drying them. In the             background, disco music and wild colors.         -   ii. Strategy—To avoid the colored plaster, to eat along the             way various electric products for the house.         -   iii. Choices—regular/magnet that pulls the electric             appliances/ski suit against colored plaster, that is             charged/discharged according to the user's progress.         -   iv. Technique—pulling the finger upwards to jump on the             colored plaster, pulling downwards to slide under the             colored plaster and moving the device to surf on the edges             of the channel.         -   v. Three Faults—missing three electric items, touching three             colored plasters, running out of steam.         -   vi. Maximum Points—10,000,000     -   p. Level 17—Interior paint         -   i. General—The duck stands on the walls and paint rollers             the wall from different directions. The duck must jump from             roller to roller with falling in order to collect the             pictures watches, hangers and mirrors that were hanging on             the house walls.         -   ii. Strategy—To jump from roller to roller and collect on             the way the items on the walls (belong to famous duck             composers). Every time a picture is collected classical             music his heard in the background.         -   iii. Choices—regular/option to jump on roller 5 times/paint             suit that is charged/discharged in accordance with the             duck's progress.         -   iv. Technique—Pulling the finger in the correct direction in             order to jump from tile to tile.         -   v. Three Faults—Jumping on three painted sections/standing             on a section more than some minimum amount of time (which             grows shorter progressively)/running out of strength         -   vi. Maximum Points—10,000,000     -   q. Level 18—Tiles         -   i. General—The floor is tiled with tiles of many colors than             change color regularly. The duck jumps from tile to tile and             must land and them when they turn white. If he jumps on a             gold tile he covers a certain area around the tile             (variable).         -   ii. Strategy—To jump on the tiles when they are white as             fast as possible, to catch as many of the gold tiles as             possible (they disappear after 2 seconds).         -   iii. Choices—none         -   iv. Technique—pulling finger in the right direction in order             to jump from tile to tile.         -   v. Three Faults—Jumping on three nonwhite/non-gold             tiles/standing still more than a certain amount of             time/running out of strength         -   vi. Maximum Points—10,000,000     -   r. Level 19—Rifle         -   i. General—A maze. The duck proceeds and on its back a brush             from which a rifle protrudes. An overview of the course is             given for ten seconds before starting. The round is broken             in a number of checkpoints that are successively more             difficult.         -   ii. Strategy—To get from point to point (five in toto) as             fast as possible and in the shortest path in order that the             rifle not be depleted. When reaching a checkpoint one enters             more difficult maze. It is impossible to return to a maze             that has been filled.         -   iii. Choices—regular/cutting rifle/ten peeks at the maze             layout.         -   iv. Technique—Pulling finger to guide the duck         -   v. Three Faults—The rifle is depleted/three arrivals at dead             end/duck runs out of strength         -   vi. Maximum Points—10,000,000     -   s. Level 20—Cladding bathroom and kitchen walls         -   i. General—The walls are ready for gluing tiles in the form             of a puzzle. Below there is a supply of tiles. The player             must choose and place each tile in its unique proper             location. Before starting the round the player is shown a             picture of the completed puzzle.         -   ii. Strategy—Placing the tiles in their locations as fast as             possible. If the direction is incorrect the tile is broken.         -   iii. Choices—regular/helping duck/three glances at the             picture of the completed puzzle         -   iv. Technique—Pressing the tile from the supply and clicking             on the empty square to place it.         -   v. Three Faults—The player wastes the tiles and runs             out/duck runs out of strength         -   vi. Maximum Points—10,000,000     -   t. Level 21—Gardening         -   i. General—A section of ground in the backyard. Zoom out—one             sees the yard covered with earth. The duck must throw seeds             into the earth in order to grow grass.         -   ii. Strategy—The angle and momentum of the planting; one             must not hit the moles the pass occasionally         -   iii. Choices—none         -   iv. Technique—pulling finger in the direction and speed             desired.         -   v. Three Faults—The duck kills three moles/plants grass on             grass/runs out of strength         -   vi. Maximum Points—18,000,000     -   u. Level 22—Roofing         -   i. General—An aerial view including the roof. The duck must             roof the house by unrolling rolls of roofing material onto             the roof beams.         -   ii. Strategy—The angle and momentum of the rolls must be             chosen so that they unfurl to cover the entire roof in             concert.         -   iii. Choices—none         -   iv. Technique—pulling finger in the direction and speed             desired.         -   v. Three Faults—The duck leaves three sections of roof             uncovered         -   vi. Maximum Points—18,000,000

As mentioned, after finishing the preliminary stage(s) involving a number of tasks, levels, or the like, the avatar is given entrance to a virtual shopping mall. The avatar, which again may take the form of a mangy duck, traverses the premises of the mall, beholding the merchandise held within the various shops and food court—the shoe stores, accessory outlets, fashion boutiques, hair salons, toy shops and electronics emporia that have infiltrated the very fabric of urban life.

Waddling through the familiar, modular landscape of fast-food outlets and garishly colored facades peddling the cornucopia of consumer goods that forms the background geology of the consumer culture ecosystem, the duck will inevitably find certain items that he desires, and as a well-conditioned consumer the user may then compete to obtain said items, be they goods or services. Tennis rackets, rococo porcelain figurines, off-brand shoes, poorly-crafted musical instruments, synthetic textiles cranked out in third world sweatshops, shoddily made and overpriced goods of all type, sizes and varieties may be vied for.

Once one or more product has been selected to compete for, the user will then guide the avatar through a hazard-ridden set of tasks to achieve some goal, in concert or in parallel with other users who have also chosen to vie for the same or other goods and/or services. The winner of this competition, such as it may be, is then entitled to some share of the spoils, such as they may be.

It is within provision of the invention to allow for a variable number of items to be selected for competition.

It is within provision of the invention that the user may compete for points which may then be used towards purchase of goods and/or services. Alternatively, the user may indicate as described previously one or more goods he wishes to compete for, and subsequent competitions for that user will determine whether or not he obtains the vaunted prize.

In some embodiments of the invention, such as it may be, games of skill, chance, and the other elements may be combined and/or played in parallel and/or series. Poker, blackjack, whist, rummy, Go, chess, backgammon, checkers, Reversi, Hijara, Agon, Abalone, Lio po, obsession, rithmomachy, 1313 dead end drive, blokus, solarquest, monopoly, hotels, khet, war on terror, acronymble, boggle, alias, auf achse, cosmic encounter, cranium, imperial, junta, kill Doctor Lucky, settlers of catan, trivial pursuit and the like may be played at various stages of the overall enterprise, such as it may be, for purposes of eliminating certain players and advancing others.

It is within provision of the invention that various types of games be employed for purposes of the inventive method. Thus video games such as first person shooters, action, action-adventure, adventure, role-playing, simulation, strategy, music games, party games, programming games, puzzle games, trivia games, board games, card games, etc. may all be employed at one or more stages for such purposes as eliminating players or advancing them.

Games such as advergames, edutainment, game-based learning games, persuasive games, organizational-dynamic games, art games, productivity games, and the like may all be employed at one or another stage of the method, such as it may be.

The players performance may in principle be rewarded by means of a point system, or other means may be used such as elimination tournaments, brackets, knock-out, group tournaments, multi-stage tournaments, promotion/relegation systems, round robin, Swiss system, challenge tournaments, ladder tournaments, and other tournament and elimination methodologies may all be employed to wondrous effect in the methods and systems of the instant invention, such as it may be.

In order to more clearly elucidate the erudite complexities of the inventive method, a simplified system diagram has been erected in the form of FIG. 1 which is now referred to for the reader's illumination. Here the standard flow chart symbols of ovoids, rectangles, and diamonds have been employed to represent steps of beginning/ending, atomic actions, and decisions, respectively.

The process begins, as the skilled reader familiar with advanced computational and algorithmic representation theoretic concepts will expect, at the start ovoid 100. A registration step 101 is then carried out. The process of registration may involve logging in (for user already having accounts, for instance) or account creation. This process of account creation may involve subsidiary steps such as entering personal information and navigating to a particular web address for purposes of email verification, or the like.

The user once having successfully registered, then selects a game 102. This may be done by use of a drop down list, radio button, or the like allowing the user to choose one from a number of possibilities. Further information may be transmitted such as team ID (if playing on a team), playing level, opponent identification, and the like. As the perspicacious reader will infer from the aforegoing explanation, it is within provision of the invention that team play be possible. A team may thus assemble for purposes of obtaining a particular item from the online mall.

For example, the Haifa chess team may decide to enter into competition for purposes of obtaining a jewel-encrusted diadem proffered for sale in the online mall of the inventive system, this jewel-encrusted diadem comprising an ostrich egg festooned with precious and semi-precious stones selected from the group consisting of: turquoise, hematite, chrysocolla, tigers-eye, quartz, tourmaline, pyrite, sugilite, malachite, rose quartz, obsidian, ruby, moss agate, jasper, amethyst, lace agate, lapis lazuli, amber, opal, alexandrite, aquamarine, opal, pearl, ruby, sapphire, spinel, diamond and topaz. It is within provision of the invention that said jewel-encrusted egg be festooned with artificial diamonds, if real diamonds of sufficient carats cannot be obtained.

Against this team is arrayed the Beersheva chess team, which boasts a deep field studded with grandmasters under the direction of GM Michael Tseitlin. The two teams sign up for a match of team Tong', in which a small garishly colored ball bounces off a crude representation of a brick facade, which facade is gradually denuded by the incessant erosive action of said ball. The players generally control rectangular pads which may be manipulated to move in a single dimension, so as to maintain the ball in play by bouncing it off said pad, as said ball rebounds from said crude representation of said brick facade.

Having completed the process of game selection, each player involved may choose an avatar, to serve as a graphical representation of the player's alter ego' or character. This avatar may take either a three-dimensional form in certain games such as those set in virtual worlds, or a two-dimensional form as an icon such as those used in Internet forums and other online communities. Alternatively it may be a text construct. The avatars may be simply usernames, or may for instance be poorly-drawn representations of various figures, familiar or otherwise, such as cartoon characters, historical figures, abstract patterns, articles of sporting games, weapons, vehicles, animals, and the like. They may be static or in certain embodiments may be animated optionally.

Once the avatar and game has been chosen, the user may begin play for instance by depressing an appropriately labeled button on a graphical user interface having provision for these operations, such as they may be. Once play begins the player attempts to achieve a certain minimum amount of points, kills, wins, completed missions, knockouts, matches, sets, collected items, coins, units, stars, bravuras, encores, or the like as may depend upon the type of game being played. Once the player's avatar runs out of strength the first time, the avatar enters the hallowed mall Duckland itself 106, shrine of the objects that so stir the players' hearts. When the player again fails, is killed, loses, does not complete the mission, is rejected, rebuffed, scorned, taunted, eliminated, extirpated, liquidated, atomized, frozen, rent by tidal forces, or otherwise does not attain the minimal mall-entrance requirements, he may in some embodiments of the invention be allowed to try again to enter Duckland 112 by continuing play 104, for instance by means of a payment, inviting a friend, or the like. Otherwise, the session may be declared complete 111 and the player summarily ejected from the arena of competition, to face the ignominy of defeat, be it alone or as part of a team.

But let us concentrate on the happy event that the player has achieved that bare minimum required to enter the much vaunted mall. In this case the user may then, in the guise of his/her avatar, select one or more items for which to compete, along with any other players on his/her team if in fact playing on a multi-player team. These items may be won through accumulation of points, eliminating competitors, reaching certain attainments, jumping through hoops, accumulating and/or disbursing money, accomplishing tasks, or the like as may (or may not) be dictated by the rules and customs of the game and/or games being played by the player and/or players.

Once the item or items have been selected by the player and/or players, competition may begin to obtain said item. The competition may being immediately or may be delayed. The competition may further take place over a number of seconds, minutes, hours, days or longer. For instance in the case of turn-based games such as Go, the players may submit moves in realtime, or may submit moves at their convenience during their turn, which may be allotted a window of time for instance one hour, five hours, a day, two days, a week, or a month. Players may be notified of their turn by means that will be clear to one skilled in the art, such as but not limited to email notification, SMS notification, instant message, ping, snail mail, courier mail, or the like.

In the ecstatic event that the player wins the item 109, he/she will then be able to collect 110 the item, for instance by virtual means, by providing an address, by travelling to a physical location, or the like. The item may be shipped, downloaded, transported, airmailed, picked up, occupied, launched, released, or otherwise obtained by the winning player as dictated by the circumstances at hand, such as they may be.

Upon winning and collecting, the user may further decide to continue playing in the manner of a Las Vegas gambler, returning again and again after a single win in an attempt to recapture the thrill of that initial sterling victory. Thus the loop is closed, the feedback is obtained, and the player may once again begin playing yet another game of the same variety, or another game, repeating the cycle and attempting to attain the mall entrance requirements for to select yet another durable good or food item (these being nonlimiting examples only and not intended to represent the full possible range of available items available) over which to compete.

If the mall entrance requirements are not met, the player may decide 112 whether to continue playing. If not, the singular process which we have taken pains to describe herein comes to a timely end 111. On the other hand, if the player wishes to continue to try for the ‘brass ring’ so to speak (this being a nonlimiting example only and not intended to represent the full possible range of available items available), he or she (as the case may be) may in fact do so, either continuing with the same game or choosing another, with the same or a different avatar, and with the same or a different team (in the case that a team event has been selected), thus continuing the process of gameplay, such as it is.

It is within provision of the invention that multiple levels and screens be supported. In one embodiment of the invention, 32 levels are provided for the user's edification and enjoyment.

It is within provision of the invention that multiple languages be supported, for instance five languages. These may be for instance English, German, Italian, Spanish, and Hebrew, although other languages may further be supported, for example by means of translated text in message windows and the like as will be obvious to one skilled in the art.

It is within provision of the invention that multiple versions of the game and/or games be provided. For example, a for-pay version, a version available only for certain age ranges, a free version, and combinations of these restrictions may be employed. Thus for example a for-pay version reserved for players above age 18 may be implemented.

It is within provision of the invention that the inventive method be implemented on any and all manner of computing device, including but not limited to laptop computer, portable computer, desktop computer, smartphone, PDA, tablet computer, pad computer, pocket computer, Turing machine, and the like, such as the case may be.

It is within provision of the invention that multiple operating systems be used for different implementations of the invention, including but not limited to FreeBSD™, SunOS™, Windows NT®, Windows 95®, Windows 98®, Windows XP®, Windows 2003®, Windows Vista®, Windows 7®, NexT®, MacOS X®, GCOS, AIP/UX, Ultrix, Android, Linux, CP-40, Berkeley Unix, Exec 8, OSF/1, and the like.

It is within provision of the invention that local networks be employed for purposes of implementing the invention as described above, or that the internet be employed, or that combinations thereof be employed.

It is within provision of the invention that the game to be played involves movement of an animated character. This character may be caused to move about and perform tasks, such as moving objects from place to place, jumping from place to place, navigation, and the like. The actions may be dependent upon history, such that (for instance) a player may not proceed to the next level before finishing the tasks of the current level.

In parallel with this virtual world of initial qualification rounds, it is within provision of the invention that another set of virtual world exists, in which the character or avatar may exert his or her influence as the case may be.

One of these may comprise a virtual store or mall as described above (see FIG. 2). The character enters this fantastic realm upon (for example completing the minimal ‘mall entrance requirements’ 105 referred to in FIG. 1 and as described hereinafter and heretofore.

FIG. 2 shows only a small section of the immense and ornate Duck Palace, a whimsical yet opulent virtual mall in which said waterfowl can frolic and gambol in delight as he chooses from a vast cornucopia of consumer delights being vended by such exclusive outlets as Pier 1 Imports, Banana Republic, North Face, Titanic Vacations, Hindenberg's Hydrogen and the like.

FIG. 3 presents a possible system diagram of one embodiment of the invention. Here a server 301 running software associated with the invention is in communication with the internet 302. Also in communication with internet 302 are a number of user devices 303, which may be different and will generally be from the group consisting of: laptop computer, portable computer, desktop computer, smartphone, PDA, tablet computer, pad computer, pocket computer, Turing machine, and the like, such as the case may be. The server 301 may run software allowing multiple user devices 303 to play online, or alternatively software from server 301 may be downloaded to devices 303 for local implementation.

A second possible additional realm in which action pertaining to the inventive method may take place is the realm of bonus levels, which may be reached by the avatar after reaching the virtual store, for example there being 10 bonus levels from a total of 32 levels.

It is within provision of the invention that at any level the user/player may perform a ‘zoom out’ maneuver in order to appreciate the current situation in its entirety, or in as entire a manner as possible given the vagaries of incomplete information the player may be faced with. Information available from such a vantage point may include but is not limited to:

-   -   a. progress     -   b. elapsed time     -   c. remaining time     -   d. current status     -   e. opponent statistics     -   f. health level

It is within provision of the invention that the player may ‘buy’ useful items such as bullets, pieces, objects, strength, power, wisdom, clarity, imperviousness to such inimical factors as acid or explosion, inflammability, fireproof qualities, indestructibility, immortality, double-speed, or the like in return for points, health, other items, or the like.

It is within provision of the invention that the avatar explains to the user what the requirements of the current level or screen may be, for instance by word, text, speech, body language, sign language, symbology, or other linguistic channel, and further that the avatar perform certain actions to hint to the user what must be performed to complete a given level.

It is within provision of the invention that a particular implementation of game be employed along the following lines.

Action Options

It is within provision of the invention that at every stage, there will be available three options for action, thusly:

-   -   a. The avatar carries out actions alone and manually, without         investment of points.     -   b. The avatar has help, for double power, requiring an         investment e.g. of 10%.     -   c. A (virtual) mechanical device is employed, allowing for         triple power, and requiring an investment of 20%.

Accumulation of Points

At every level and/or stage, there may be allowed a certain number of fouls, faults or the like such as for instance three faults. Each fault decreases one's score. If three faults accumulate, the stage beings over from the beginning once again, as the case may be. Furthermore and additionally, a strength meter may be implemented, which is continually deplenished in the manner of elapsing time, ebbing strength, diminishing returns or the like. Insofar as the player is faster, more strength may be left for the rest of the round(s) or at the end of the round, and this may be translated in certain embodiments of the invention to points, credits, bonuses, or the like as the case may be.

Faults

A fault is invoked whenever for instance the strength of the avatar falls below a certain minimum, which may in certain representations be indicated by a red line for instance.

A fault may further be invoked upon performing a forbidden or incorrect action more than a certain predetermined number of times, for instance upon crossing the street during a red light three times or more.

Strikes

After a certain predetermined number of energy lapses (events where a players energy falls below the minimum allowable), the avatar may be rendered immobile in the manner of a paralyzed spinal-cord injury victim, zombie, frozen player, etc. In such cases, the player may see the avatar which may even continue to perform various predetermining tasks, but the player in fact has no control over these actions.

This immobilization period if you will may continue for any desired period of time. It is within provision of the method that the player may obtain a special present for the avatar before said avatar's strength ebbs entirely. This action may for instance require an investment of points, credit or the like on the part of the player, but at the player's discretion this may be undertaken in any case since the avatar's playing strength is increased in exchange for said points.

Bonus Rounds

It is within provision of the invention that bonus rounds be implemented in the following manner. Ten bonus rounds are provided. in each, the avatar goes over to the neighbor's house (in one embodiment of the invention) where a middle-aged attractive woman lives. The avatar there performs one or more tasks that are difficult for this woman, such as taking out the trash, fixing a broken window, shoveling snow, mowing the lawn, installing drivers on her computer, lifting a heavy object, vacuuming, cleaning windows, cleaning the stove, emptying the dishwasher, doing the laundry, or the like as the case may be. In these levels or rounds, the avatar (which may for instance take the form of a goofy duck) must deal with certain inimical elements such as that of a sleek cat of uneven temper and violent disposition. For example, one particular round may be laid out as follows:

The avatar emerges from a lair close to a construction site, crosses the street to the old woman's house, and rings the bell. She opens the door which creaks open ominously upon its ancient hammered-iron hinges. The avatar enters, and the old woman requests he assist her in ‘vacuuming her rug’.

A close up of the rug is seen. The aforementioned sleek cat of uneven temperament approaches, vomiting forth a cavalcade of repugnant hairballs, and simultaneously attempts to liquidate the avatar. The player must at once avoid the inimical advances of the cat whilst at one and the same time vacuuming up the ever mounting hairballs. However it is also within provision of the invention that the avatar may vacuum the cat's tail, slowing said cat for a predetermined period of time selected from the group consisting of: several seconds; tens of seconds; one minute; five minutes.

The goal of such a level would be to accumulate as many points as possible in a 90 second period (for instance) of the bonus round. The avatar must vacuum hairballs as rapidly as possible such that the cat will vomit forth yet more hairballs, increasing the points potential for the player, as each hairball vacuumed will be worth some nonzero amount of points. However as mentioned above the avatar must simultaneously avoid contact with the cat, and/or attempt to vacuum its tail to produce the aforementioned effect of slowing the cat's deadly operations for a predetermined amount of time.

It is within provision of the invention that touch screen devices be employed for control of the avatar, for instance a smartphone. In this case control over the various game elements may be accomplished by dragging over the screen in a given direction or tapping thereupon, and/or by tilting the device. Thus for example movement of the avatar may be accomplished by tilting the device, while a faster movement may be obtained by means of dragging one's finger upon the avatar in the desired direction of movement. Vacuuming the aforementioned repellent hairballs may be accomplished for instance by placing a vacuum icon upon these hairballs, following by tapping upon the vacuum.

It is within provision of the invention that there be no faults recorded during these bonus rounds; insofar as more hairballs are vacuumed, more hairballs are in fact vomited forth by the aforementioned inimical feline. In this manner, the cat is made busier with the operations of hairball-vomiting, and less is allotted it for its other goal in life namely the utter destruction of the player's avatar. Notwithstanding, every time the cat manages to touch the avatar, a point penalty is implemented such that it is possible in principle to finish a level ‘in the red’, that is to say with a negative point value.

Repeats

It is within provision of the invention that every round may be repeated as many times as desired. The amount of accumulated points, as well as the maximum possible score for a given level, and the previous score, shall be displayed. Although it is almost impossible to attain the maximum possible score, it is possible to approach this score.

It is within provision of the invention that the order of events be differet from that specified above in examples and flowcharts.

It is within provision of the invention to allow direct access to the mall and competitions.

Although selected embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments. Instead, it is to be appreciated that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of online gameplay comprising steps of: a. providing a server connected to the internet; b. connecting a number of users to said server by means of computing devices; c. registering said users on said server; d. said users playing a preliminary game to meet mall entrance requirements; e. entering a virtual mall upon meeting said mall entrance requirements; f. selecting item(s) to compete for in said mall; g. competing for said items; whereby users may compete for real items they have chosen, online.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said preliminary game comprises a role playing game.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said preliminary game comprises one or more bonus rounds.
 4. The method of claim 3 wherein said bonus rounds involve a duck required to clean a carpet being rendered filthy by a cat vomiting hairballs thereupon.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein said competing for said items is accomplished by means of a game having multiple levels.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein said mall entrance requirements consist of elements selected from the group consisting of: monetary payment; point accumulation; and combinations thereof.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein said gameplay involves: single player gaming; team gaming; tournament competition; tournaments, brackets, knock-out, group tournaments, multi-stage tournaments, promotion/relegation systems, round robin, swiss system, challenge tournaments, ladder tournaments.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein said mall comprises stores carrying goods selected from the list consisting of: clothing, consumer goods, electric appliances, travel products including tickets and tours, furniture, sporting goods, lingerie, footwear, building supplies, extrusion equipment, welding supplies, plastic goods, painting supplies, plants, artwork, galleries, stationary, novelties, whoopie cushions, books, movie tickets, transportation services, transportation machines, insurance services, computers and peripherals, office supply, fuel, recreational services, music services, gym, seasonal tickets to sporting and entertainment events.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein said competition for said items involves maximizing items selected from the group consisting of: points accumulated; victories achieved; money paid; credits won; wins attained; matches won.
 10. The method of claim 1 wheren said computing devices are selected from the group consisting of: laptop computer, portable computer, desktop computer, smartphone, PDA, tablet computer, pad computer, pocket computer, Turing machine.
 11. A system of online gameplay comprising: a. a server connected to the internet b. means for allowing said users to geister on said server c. means to conduct a preliminary game to meet mall entrance requirements d. means to enter a virtual mall upon meeting said mall entrance requirements; e. means for selecting item(s) to compete for in said mall; f. means for competing for said items; whereby users may compete for real items they have chosen, online.
 12. The system of claim 11 wherein said preliminary game comprises a role playing game.
 13. The system of claim 11 wherein said preliminary game comprises one or more bonus rounds.
 14. The system of claim 13 wherein said bonus rounds involve a duck required to clean a carpet being rendered filthy by a cat vomiting hairballs thereupon.
 15. The system of claim 11 wherein said competing for said items is accomplished by means of a game having multiple levels.
 16. The system of claim 11 wherein said mall entrance requirements consist of elements selected from the group consisting of: monetary payment; point accumulation; and combinations thereof.
 17. The system of claim 11 wherein said gameplay involves: single player gaming; team gaming; tournament competition; tournaments, brackets, knock-out, group tournaments, multi-stage tournaments, promotion/relegation systems, round robin, swiss system, challenge tournaments, ladder tournaments.
 18. The system of claim 11 wherein said mall comprises stores carrying goods selected from the list consisting of: clothing, consumer goods, electric appliances, travel products including tickets and tours, furniture, sporting goods, lingerie, footwear, building supplies, extrusion equipment, welding supplies, plastic goods, painting supplies, plants, artwork, galleries, stationary, novelties, whoopie cushions, books, movie tickets.
 19. The system of claim 11 wherein said competition for said items involves maximizing items selected from the group consisting of: points accumulated; victories achieved; money paid; credits won; wins attained; matches won.
 20. The system of claim 11 wherein said computing devices are selected from the group consisting of: laptop computer, portable computer, desktop computer, smartphone, PDA, tablet computer, pad computer, pocket computer, Turing machine. 